Wednesday Readers' Forum

Marin can conserve

Marin County water-users are intelligent and responsive. In the 400-year drought of record which occurred in 1976-77, the Marin Municipal Water District board imposed water rationing, which required a 57 percent reduction in use. Marin water-users responded with a 62 percent reduction, outstripping what we were told we had to do by 5 percent.

In the less severe and more recent drought of the late 1980s and early 1990s, as of March 1991 MMWD imposed mandatory rationing of 25 percent. Water-users responded with a 34 percent reduction, outstripping what we were told we had to do by 9 percent.

The history of Marin water-users' behavior thus features appropriate responsiveness and cooperation. As always, responsive cooperation is invited and nurtured by being told the truth and being treated honestly and with respect.

Currently, we are in another period of less water in our Mediterranean climate.

Consistent with our past behavior, water use in Marin is down. MMWD General Manager Paul Helliker would do better to heed our history of responsiveness and cooperation.

When he says, "Water demand is down, but that's an anomaly, " (IJ, Sept. 13, "Water supplier jolts Marin"), he appears to ignore and disregard our history of effective cooperation, not giving credit where credit is due.

To mischaracterize our responsiveness and cooperation as an "anomaly" mistakes intelligent, responsive and appropriate behavior by calling it a deviation from the norm. In fact, it is unfair because effective, drought-sensitive behavior is the Marin norm.

Perhaps the "anomaly" properly belongs to Mr. Helliker. It does not, however, honestly describe Marin's heads up and effective water-users.

Ford Greene, San Anselmo

Does MGH board work for us?

Assuming that Robert Heller, as chairman of our local Marin General Hospital board, was quoted accurately in the Sept. 20 IJ, the community he represents has the right to ask the following:- Who, in this community of intelligent and civic-minded folks, would serve on a board that has no power to make decisions in the best interest of the organization they represent.

- Have the boards of California Pacific Medical Center and Mills-Peninsula Hospital, also affiliated with Sutter, made similar decisions? I don't think so.

- What is the fiduciary responsibility of a not for profit board to protect the interests of the entity which provides them with a non taxable status.

This board has consistently turned down offers by concerned members of this community, whose sole interest is ensuring a high quality hospital at MGH, to participate in a civil discussion regarding the issues that remain to ensure as smooth a transition from one entity to another. This transition process is, after all, commonplace in our democracy.

In the absence of a civil and rational discussion, we are headed for a bruising intervention by the legislature and the attorney general.

That is not in the best interest of our hospital, nor does it say much about how its board fulfills its civic duty.

Too bad, it doesn't have to be that way.

Derek Parker, Tiburon

County's 'misguided' plan

Marin Supervisors Steve Kinsey and Charles McGlashan have succeeded in muscling past a planned inventory of Marin County open space trails. This inventory would have been conducted over the coming year in order to accurately describe our trails both in aspect and in usage. A workshop on trails issues is now set for Nov. 3, at 1:30 p.m., at the Marin Center.

The two supervisors have caved in and are determined to open up footpaths to mountain bicycles, even though foot traffic - hikers, walkers, joggers, families, senior citizens - is by far the greatest use of our narrow trails.

Trails for equestrians? Too bad; just ride around a ring. County ordinance limiting bicycles to dirt roads? Hey, change it.

If people don't speak up against this foolish and misguided plan, then we can say goodbye to peace, serenity and safety on our footpaths.

One public survey after another shows that the majority of residents do not want mountain bicycles on footpaths. Bicycles already access 50 percent (75 percent on Burdell open space) of public trails, but it's never enough.

Plan to attend this workshop to protect our narrow trails.

Connie Berto, San Anselmo

'Journalistic abuses'

The stings against ACORN characterize the distortion campaigns waged by Fox News to divert public opinion away from the destructive policies of its right-wing supporters; which include including deceptive indictments against health care and environmental reforms, and its manipulations of science. Any transgressions by a few low- paid ACORN employees would be eclipsed by the trillions swindled by the money manipulators, Halliburton, et al - all of which have been downplayed by Fox.

The influence of these destructive journalistic abuses will not abate, until challenged by other media members and until their audiences gain some astuteness.